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The Mar have fought the Drakes for resources for centuries, but even the wizards fear those rare times when the Drakes organize an invasion. To better understand why, read the book.

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Snatching guer

Snatching guer are large, bipedal lizards that stand over twenty feet tall, with tails that make them almost as long. They get their name from their long arms with hands that have eight fingers arranged in a circle around the palm and sharp claws as long as a foot. Despite their size, snatching guer can snatch prey with these claws at blinding speeds, drawing them to their sharp teeth. The teeth of snatching guer are often three inches long or more, and their hides are thick enough to ward off most weapons. They are not especially bright, but they keep the company of more intelligent guer during invasions by the Mass.

Snatching guer live far north of the Fens of Reur. They are cold-blooded creatures that lay eggs, and it is not known how they stay warm so far from temperate regions. Snatching guer are strict carnivores with ravenous appetites, and even their allies are fair game if the snatching guer has not had enough to eat. Scholars know very little about snatching guer culture because their territory is so far from civilization.

(Introduction contributed by Nightfire Tradition)

Tactics

Snatching guer are a blessedly rare sight. They are deadliest in wooded, wet areas where their flesh blends in with the foliage. If a snatching guer has the element of surprise, there is no hope that its first victim will survive. Attacking a snatching guer from the front is suicidal. Their snatching claws can impale a Mar or rend flesh from bone. Failing that, they are easily strong enough to drag a human to the guer's mouthful of sharp teeth.

Spears and most other thrown weapons are largely useless against these monsters, because of their thick hides, so attacking at range is seldom effective. Snatching guer have strong legs that allow them to move faster than a Mar can run, but they are clumsy when turning around or stopping. This makes large snares and flanking assaults the most effective approaches to fighting these Drakes. Even then only steel has a real hope of penetrating their hides. Magic is an even better solution, though surface burns and bruises are more likely to enrage these guer than to kill them.

A snatching guer is more than a match for any mundane warrior. Fighting one is a task for a force no smaller than a dozen Mar. If a snatching guer chases you, you might be able to escape by picking a winding route. If you are not alone, your best chance of survival is to flee in as many directions as possible. It is likely the snatching guer will catch one of your number, but it will give the others an opportunity to remove themselves from immediate danger.

(Tactics contributed by Weard Girdag Langat)